Criminal Justice Legislation

SB 66 – Modify criminal sentencing and corrections law (2017-2018)

To amend sections 2929.11, 2929.13, 2929.15, 2929.16, 2929.19, 2951.041, 2953.31, 2967.16, and 2967.28 of the Revised Code to modify criminal sentencing and corrections law by including rehabilitation as a purpose of felony sentencing, removing the one-year minimum for presumptive fourth or fifth degree felony community control sanctions, modifying sanctions for a violation of a community control condition, modifying the manner of calculating confinement credits, modifying eligibility criteria and procedures for granting intervention in lieu of conviction, making offenders convicted of certain multiple fourth or fifth degree felonies eligible for conviction record sealing, revising procedures for the Adult Parole Authority to grant a final release or terminate post-release control, and modifying the criteria for considering a prison term sanction for a post-release control violation.

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Summary:

SB 66 expands the overriding purposes of felony sentencing to include rehabilitating the incarcerated person. Accordingly, the bill reduces the length of time a person is subjected to sanctions; reduces penalties and provides alternative sanctions for violating terms of parole, including expanded use of community-based corrections facilities; modifies the way in which a court calculates jail time credit to more closely reflect the real amount of time a person is confined prior to sentencing; expands who is eligible for “in lieu of conviction,” and record sealing; and streamlines the process for terminating parole.

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Our take on this bill:

The ACLU of Ohio supports SB 66’s efforts to reduce mass incarceration by rehabilitating individuals, expanding who is eligible for prison-alternative programs, and reducing prison time. SB 66 represents an important step toward a more fair and effective criminal justice system. However, it is just one step, addressing only the back end of incarceration, rather than the laws that send too many people to prison in the first place.